Practice of not changing names or religion is more prevalent among those under the influence of self-styled pastors of Pentecostal churches
In Punjab, many Dalits are embracing Christianity, but official records often remain unchanged. The trend has come under focus after a recent Supreme Court decision upheld that Dalits who convert to Christianity or Islam are no longer entitled to SC reservations, highlighting the immediate socio-economic consequences of changing one’s religion in documents.
Many people in Punjab who have embraced Christianity are not changing their names or religion in official records. They want to keep their Scheduled Caste (SC) certificates so they can continue getting reservation benefits in jobs and education. The same trend is seen across Doaba — Jalandhar, Kapurthala, and Hoshiarpur. Churches are full, but the change of faith is not shown in official records.
Even some popular Christian leaders are following the same names, just as the former Chairperson of the Christian Welfare Board Punjab, Amandeep Gill, or Christian Youth Punjab leader Charanjit GIll.
Hailing from a village of Jalandhar Cantonment, Mangat Ram and his family embraced Christianity about two years ago. He attends the holy mass every week in the church of his village. His daughter Sunita took wedding vows as per Christian rituals. But the family has neither changed their names nor altered anything in the official records. Their SC certificates are still intact.
Article_Author Deepkamal Kaur
Courtesy : The Tribune
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